WORLD> Backgrounder
Facts and influence of G8 member states
(wikipedia.org)
Updated: 2009-07-02 19:48

G8 member facts

Seven of the nine leading export countries are in the G8 (Germany, US, Japan, France, Italy, UK, Canada).

The UK, the USA, Canada, France, and Germany have nominal per capita GDP over US$40,000 dollars.

Five of the seven largest stock exchanges by market value are in G8 countries (US, Japan, UK, France, Canada).

The G8 countries represent 7 of the 9 largest economies by nominal GDP (Russia isn't one of the 9 largest economies by nominal GDP but has the 7th largest real GDP; Canada was 8th in 2006 but in 2007 it lost 8th place to Spain, as it did in 2003, prompting the previous government headed by José María Aznar to request Spain's entrance in the G8).

The 2nd and 3rd largest oil producers (USA and Russia) and the country with the 2nd largest reserves (Canada) are in the G8.

Seven of the nine largest nuclear energy producers are in the G8 (USA, France, Japan, Russia, Germany, Canada, UK).

The 7 largest donors to the UN budget are in the G8 (US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Canada).

Cumulative influence of member nations

Together the eight countries making up the G8 represent about 14% of the world population, but they represent about 65% of the Gross World Product as measured by gross domestic product.

In 2007, the combined G8 military spending was US$850 billion. This is 72% of the world's total military expenditures.

Four of the G8 members United Kingdom, United States of America, France and Russia together account for 96-99% of the world's nuclear weapons.